Clark



No. 625,743. Patented may 3o, |899.

J. w. CLARK. seen PLANTER.

(Application led Apr. 1, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sham l.

fifi.

mmm-mall i No. 625,743. Patented May 30, |899.

J. W. CLARK.

SEED PLANTER.

(Application led Apr. 1, 1899.) V (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

THE Nunms PETERS co. PHOTO-mwa. WASHINGTON. n. c.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation.

v NITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

JOI-IN l/VASHINGTON CLARK, OF CLVERTON, GEORGIA.

SEED-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of `Letters Patent No. 625,743, dated May 3o, 1899.

Application tiled April l, 1899. Serial No. 711,325. (No model.)

To all whom t r11/ty concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN WASHINGTON CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Culverton, in the county of Hancock and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Seed-Planter, of which the following is a specification.

My inventionrelates to improvements in seed-planters especially constructed for dropping peas; and the object in view is to provide a simple construction for positively drivi ing the dropping-disk from a driving-wheel adapted to be rotated-by frictional contactl with the ground on the advancement of thei machine across the field. l

A further object of the invention is to proi vide a construction adapted for 4use in connection with an ordinary cultivator and to` make one machine serve by a few changes in y the structure the purposes of a seed-planter or culti-vatorimplement, thus saving the farmer the expense of different machines for the performance of the necessary work on a farm.

With these ends in view the invention cony sists in the novel combination of elements and in the construction and arrangement of parts,which will be hereinafterfully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand the invention, I have illustrated the same in` the ac-I companying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a seedplanter constructed in accordancewith my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section through the hopper and the dropping-drum on the plane indicated by the dotted line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail.V perspective View of the supporting-bars which constitute the frame for the planter mechanism and which is provided with shaft or axle boxes to sustain the shaft of the dropping-drum and the axle of the driving-Wheel.

Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of the bearings for the driving-wheel axle and the droppingdrum shaft, respectively.

The same numerals of reference are used to indicate like and correspondingparts in planter mechanism in connection with an ordinary cultivator, in which the beam is indicated by the numeral 10, the foot or stock by 11, and the handle-bars by 13. All of these parts may be -of the ordinary construction Well known to the art; but the implement is equipped with certain accessories, such as the shovel 12, the tie-bar 14, the brace-rod 15, and the vertical braces 16. `The shovel 12 is attached to the lower end of the stock `11 by a bolt` or other suitable contrivance.

The handle-bars 13 are united and braced by Athe `tie-bar 14 andthe brace-rod 16, and this tie-bar serves also as the means for supporting the seed-hopperin proper relation to the droppin g-drum, as .will presently appear.

The frame by which the plantingmeehanism is supported consists of a pair of bars 17 18, that carry the shaft-boxes for the dropping-drum and the driving-wheel, and this frame is constructed for ready and firm application to the beam 10, so that the planting mechanism may be removed bodily from the cultivator implement whenever it is desired to use said implement without the planting mechanism. Each bar l17 or 18 is bent inwardly near its front end, as at 19, and the `bars are arranged in reverse positions and in substantially the same horizontal plane. By bending the bars, as at 19, they are formed with shauks 20, which are adapted to be ap# plied against opposite sides of the beam 10 near the rear end thereof, and the shanks 0fthe two bars are fastened firmly to the beam by the bolts-21, which pass through the bars and the beam. The rear portionsof the bars are straight and parallel, and they are spread laterally by having the bars bent `at 19, so that the spaced rear ends of the bars will accommodate between themselves the drivingwheel 22. The straight rear portions of the bars 17 18, formingthe supporting-frame, are provided with bearings or 'boxes 23 24, which are arranged in the same horizontal plane and in alinement with each other transversely across the axis of the implement. Each. bearing 23 or 24 is provided near its upper end with transverse bolt-holes 25, and the bearing isadapted to be applied laterallyragainst one face of one of the bars, whereby the bolts may be passed through the` bar and `the bear- IOO ing applied thereto forthe purpose of holding the bearing and supporting-bar Yfirmly together. The bearings 23 24 have the transverse axle-openings 27, which receive or accommodate the axle 2S of the ground-wheel 22, that is disposed between the bearings and the bars. One end of this ground-Wheel axle is extended to receive a sprocket-pinion 29, that is engaged by an endless sprocket-chain 30, the latter being arranged to drive the shaft of the dropping-drum, as will presently appear.

31 32 designate the shaft-bearings for the dropping-drum. Said shaft-bearings are attached firmly to the supporting-bars 17 18 of v'theplanter-frame, and the bearings extend `of one supporting-bar for the reception of1 bolts 34, adapted -to pass through the sup` porting-bar and the holes 33 in the bearing, thus providing for the rigid application ofthe i bearing to the supporting-bar. rlhe bear-i ings project upwardly from the pair of barsg and lare provided with shaft-openings 35,? which arearranged transversely yto the im ple- `ment andreceive the drum-shaft 36. Onei endof :this drum-shaft is extended beyond; its bearing to receive a sprocket-gear 37,`` whichis in alinement with the sprocket-gear 29 on the axle of the driving-wheel 22, and,` the two sprocket-gears are thus arranged to be connected ^by the endless chain 30, which; transmits the motion of the ground-wheel axle VLto the shaft of the dropping-drum 38. i This ydropping-drum is secured firmly to the shaftV 36 at a point between the bearings 31 32 thereof, and said drum is provided with a` seed-pocket 39, adapted to receive the seed` fromthe hopper 40. This hopper is of eloni gated tapering construction and is fashioned; to fit snugly between the handle-bars 13 and -agains-tfthe tie-bar 14, and said hopper is=y fastened to the tie-bar by bolts 42, that pass transversely through the rear Wall of the hopper and the tie-bar, whereby the cultivatory frame serves in a measure to support the seedhopper. The llower edge of the seed-hoppen is out away on curved lines to form a seat 41, andgthishopper is arranged to rest snugly,` upon thefdropping-drum 38, whereby the `hopperand drum may be assembled into close l22, are vprovided with rearwardly-extending arms .43, that project in rear of the bearings, and against the lower faces of said arms are ittedthe shanks 44 of the covering-shovels 45. Each covering-shovel has its upper forward end fashioned to provide a shank adapted for firm application to the arm of the shaftbearings, and said shank is formed with vertical openings to permit the bolt 46 to pass through the shank and the arm 43 of said shaft-bearing, whereby the covering-shovel is fastened firmly in place. The coveringshovels extend rearwardly beyond the driving and ground wheel 22, and they are fashioned `to throw the dirt or soilinwardly upon the seed which is dropped on the ground by the'action of the dropping mechanism of the planter.

In the practical serviceofthe machine the dropping-drum is arranged to deposit the seed in the path of the driving or ground wheel 22.

To convert an ordinary cufltivator` into a seed-planter, as contemplated bymy invention, the bars 17 18, forming the planterframe, are fitted against opposite sides of the beamlO, and the vbolts 21 are passed through the front ends of the bars andthe beam to firmly unite the parts together, after which the braces 16 are attached to set the planterframe `in its proper relation to the implement. The planter-frame Vcarries the driving or ground wheel, the dropping-drum, and the carrying-shovels, andthe axle for the groundwheel andthe shaft of the dropping-drum are .connected operatively by the endless sprocket-chain i engaging with sprocket-gears. The hopper is inserted between the handlebars of the cultivator, and it is supported in place by having its curved seat 41 rest upon the dropping-drum and by passing the bolts 42 through the hopper and the tie-bar.

As the machine is drawn across the field the furrow is opened by the shovel on the foot or stock, and the ground-Wheel is rotated by frctional contact with the ground, and the covering-shovels scrape or throw the dirt inwardly toward the furrow opened by the shovel. -The rotation of the groundwheel propels the sprocket-chain, which in turn rotates the shaft of the dropping-drum, and the pocket 39 of this drum is arranged to carry the seed from the hopper and to drop the seed into the fur-row opened by the shovelA It will thus be seen that the dropping mechanism is operated automaticallyby the movement of the machine and that the seed is deposited in the furrow and covered'with soil by the action of the shovels 45.

To convert the implement from a planter to an ordinary cultivator, it is only necessary to remove the braces 1G, detach the supporting-bars of the frame .from the beam by removing the bolts 21, and finally the hopper is unbolted from the tie-bar and lifted out of the space between the handle-bars.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacri- ICO IIO

ficing any of the advantages of this invention.

What I claim isl. In a seed-planter, the combination With a beam, and the handle-bars thereof, of a planter-f rame secured removably to said beam and provided with journal-bearings, a driving-Wheel mounted in the bearings near the rear end of said planter-frame,'a droppingdrum having its shaft mounted in bearings near the front end of said planter-frame, and a hopper situated on the dropping-drum and held in place by the handle-bars, snbstantiall y as described. a

2. In a seed-planter, the combination with a beam, and the handle-bars, of a planterframe provided with shaft-bearings near its front end, a dropping-drum having its shaft jou rn aled in said bearings, a hopper fitted between thehandle-bars and provided with a curved seat at its lower edge to ftsnugly to the dropping-drum, bolts for fastening the hopper to the handle-bars, and a ground- Wheel mo n nted in the planter-frame and having gear connections with the shaft of the dropping-drum, substantially as described.

3. In a seed-planter, the combination with a beam and the handle-bars, of a planterframe consisting of bars fastened removably to the beam and provided with pairs of shaft boxes or bearings near the front and rear ends thereof, a droppingdrum having its shaft 'mounted in the bearings near the front end of said frame, a driving-Wheel with its axle journaled in bearings near the rear end of f said frame, gearing between the axle and said shaft, braces between the handle-bars and the planter-frame, and covering-shovels fastened to the planterframe on opposite sides of the ground-Wheel, substantially as described. f

` In testimony that I claim the foregoing as..

CLARK. 

